Scrooge gone quackers
by Albedo66
Summary: Scrooge McDuck is one of the richest ducks ever. However when his fortune goes missing no one is left from blame...not even his beloved nephews. It is a mystery as to who stole the gold. Will the real thief be revealed? Enjoy.


7

Scrooge gone quackers

Written by Albedo66

Challenge issued by schizoidpixiehallucination

Scrooge McDuck was a Scottish duck who loved money. At a young age when he was a wee duck his parents didn't have a lot of money. His father told him to build up his money and never spend unless it was absolutely important. Scrooge took this to heart and worked hard, earning every penny and dime to make his fortune come true. It worked and growing cold and distrusting he built a monopoly of rich enterprises that sprung up in Duckburg causing job increases and wealth for which, well, he solely got. Yes he was a millionaire at a young age, but, why stop there?

Scrooge continued to build his empire and he was quite content living with a butler and having no annoying pesky children for whom he would give an inheritance. That is until that blundering nephew of his dropped his nephews off at his home. Leave it to Donald to make things complicated. Donald never achieved much in life, always running around with that mouse friend of his and that, well, man dog that could drive. Scrooge didn't have time to look after Huey, Dewey, and Luey.

To make matters worse he got a maid and a little female named Webby. They settled into his mansion rather quickly and when he wasn't dealing with the beagle boys and glomgold; rest assured those kids were on his nerves. Launchpad, Gyro, oy these characters constantly made his life a living nightmare. Seated in his office he stared out his window watching the three plan on his front lawn. He hated to admit it but after all this time they were rather growing on him…like money.

Suddenly the alarm rang and he was broken out of his happy thoughts, not that he was ever happy, unless swimming in his vault counted. "What is going on?"

"Mr. McDuck it is your vault!" Gyro said over the speaker. "You better hurry over asap, and I mean right now."

"I know Gyro," Scrooge sighed exasperatedly, "I will be there faster than you can shake a tail feather." Gyro had no dance skill so that was how fast he could move. For his age he could sprint across a field in Glasgow Scotland if he so much as smelled the richness there. Hurrying to his emergency hatch hidden in his floor he propelled down a slide that led him out of a secret spot in his field. Hurrying to his vault with confused nephews behind him he saw the vault tremble. He too was trembling as the fear his money was disappearing flitted in his mind.

"Unca Scrooge what's wrong?" Huey asked. Normally Unca Scrooge would greet them with a nod. Today he was sprinting and his face looked worried. They hadn't seen the Beagle boys so it couldn't be them.

"My money…that's what," he grumbled. Using his secret emergency code he pulled the vault door open. He closed his eyes, afraid for the worse, and as he inched in he smelled the air cautiously. When he finally opened his eyes he held his chest and his eyes popped out in angst. "Oh no, it can't be…me money is gone!"

The nephews gathered at the rail near the diving board and they couldn't believe it either. Scrooge's well earned money was depleted so far down that the dust from years had collected on the bottom. Neither wanted to speak; afraid their uncle would turn on them, so, one by one they slipped out the door preparing for the wrath that followed such an episode.

"Who stole me money? If it is the last thing I do I will hunt down this culprit and they won't know what stone broke is till I have unlodged every stone and broke them for such a travesty!" Scrooge shook the rail and panted as he fell to his knees. All his hard earned money…who would be so cruel?

"Hey boys what's up?" Launchpad McQuack walked towards the boys with a friendly smile on his beak. "Why is the vault door open?"

"Launchpad you have to run," Louie warned, "Unca Donald is really mad. His money is missing and he will turn on anyone in his-."

"Ah ha…it was you Launchpad! Tell me where you were between 8 and 9 am today?" Scrooge held his cane and aimed it at his lumbering pilot. He had crashed many bi-planes, so, he might use his stolen money to squander up parts for a new one. Yes…it had to be him. His nephews wouldn't know what to do with this wealth, let alone hide it far from him.

"Whoa Mr. McDuck," Launchpad cautioned, "I just got here. Your nephews just informed me of your missing money. I wouldn't know where to start spending it, I mean; the rich life was never my intention-."

"Spare me your sad upbringing McQuack," Scrooge scowled, "I have had enough of it all these years. You have yet to answer my question concerning your whereabouts between 8 and 9 am today."

"I was out flying," Launchpad said, "you told me to after my last crash landing. You said you wanted my flying to be top shape before you went up in my plane again."

"Ah…of course I did. Well I want you to practice your landing now…only way I can be sure we will survive one of your crashes next."

"Yes sir." Launchpad stormed off and shook his head. What had come over Mr. McDuck to think he would want gold? Money was of no value to him, even if it was stealing from someone who had hired him would seem a career suicide if anything else.

"Gyro…come here this instant!" Scrooge yelled. Seeing the scientist stumble over his own legs he shook his head in embarrassment. "What took you?"

"Sorry Mr. McDuck but one of my inventions went kaput. My lab is filled with smoke and my glasses sort of fogged up. I didn't see who broke into the vault…if that is what you were going to ask."

"Tell me where you were between 8 and 9 this morning. I want the truth now…and hesitancy proves your guilt by the second." I can smell the fear running down his spine, or is that the smell of chemicals?

"Lets see…I believe I was running a test on my last prototype the vacuum archive. It recognizes what is sucked into it and relays it back via monitor. No longer will you have to worry about vacuuming and what it was that the vacuum got a hold of. It is efficient and runs without a plug, sadly there is a tiny problem…once it sucks something up it only sucks up that object. I tried disconnecting it but it blew my monitor and spilled some experimental chemicals."

Scrooge stroked his chin in thought and found his story plausible. Gyro, while brilliant, didn't need his money. If he had thought of a way to steal it he would've done so years ago when he still had some marbles intact. No this had to be the work of someone younger…like his nephews.

"Unca Scrooge is running out of supsects," Dewey noted, "he will surely turn on us the moment the list runs cold. We have to hide."

"Quick, to the emergency panic room." Huey led the way to a chute hidden in a tree and slid down into the lower depths of the mansion. Once inside he entered a code that the only three of them knew. Walking over to a monitor constructed by Gyro himself they witnessed Scrooge scowling as he looked for them.

"We can't hide here forever," Huey said, "sooner or later he will find out. It is only a matter of time and we are running little on it."

They watched as Scrooge interrogated Mrs. Beakley and saw him reel back from a backhanded slap across the face. The nephews grew anxious as Scrooge yelled their names through the halls in his mad quest to find who stole his money. Dewey checked each camera inserted in the hall and found his mood quickly falling. It was much like Huey said; they couldn't hide forever.

"Hey it's the Beagle Boys!" Huey leaped out of his seat and saw the nefarious robbers inching along the grass towards the vault.

"We have to stop them…oh wait…the gold isn't there." Huey laughed at the situation and his brothers joined in. Together they hurried out as Gyro issued the alarm to alert Scrooge of the situation. Scrooge McDuck was out in a flash and his cane was raised as he charged forth like a soldier in battle.

"Hey its empty," baby face said. The Beagle Boys stared into the vast emptiness of the vault and they were dumbfounded.

"Hmm…either Scrooge is playing a trick on us…or Glomgold beat us to the punch," the leader said as he scratched his chin. Hearing footsteps he spun to see Scrooge himself furied with his cane raised over his head.

"Give me back my gold you lousy Beagle Boys!" Scrooge charged and the Beagle Boys fled from the vault hurriedly.

"We ain't got your gold Scrooge," the leader yelled, "we just busted out of prison right now. Honest…honestly on our mother's life. You can ask the prison warden…speaking of which he won't be pleased if we miss our hearing."

They scrammed leaving Scrooge alone on the lawn with a befuddled look. He was running out of suspects and all had alibies. He could interrogate Glomgold as to the whereabouts of his gold, but, he imagined he would have some elaborate story to ruse him on until he walked away empty handed. Feeling his age catch up to him he returned to his vault peering down in sorrow and regret. If only he had spent it sooner…then this state it was in would be cheerful. Leaning on the rail he saw himself diving in, swimming merrily in gold and having a smile that children wore on Christmas day.

"Unca Scrooge," Huey inquired, "are you alright?" Standing up on the rail he rested his arms on the top most rail looking into the depths of what was his gold.

"My money is gone. I can't seem to grasp on a life without it. Just knowing it is here secure as it is…it makes me sleep better at night. Now that it is all gone I feel all my hard work has been stolen…leaving me nothing but an empty shell of my now former glory."

"You can make it back," Dewey smiled, "you're a business duck after all. The world is in constant demand of new ideas…and your brain is always full of get rich schemes. C'mon…it isn't like you to give up this easily."

"Plus they say hope is always the answer to a rainy day," Louie chimed in, "so walk out and let the sun help ease your crabby mood."

"Your right boys…perhaps I was being a little down on myself. I am Scrooge McDuck and no fortune is shy of my brilliant business mind."

Motioning below the nephews watched as Gyro began to suck up all the dust with his new invention. Launchpad had the roof removed briefly then set off in his plane to take the dust from Gyro's invention. All while Scrooge gazed up at the sky drinking in the sun and getting a new perspective on life. It all had to be fast and one misstep and they would surely fall to Scrooge's questioning.

Once the dust was taken away the gold was placed back in the vault. The roof had just settled when Scrooge walked into his vault with a stupor on his face. "My gold, my money, how did this happen?"

"We borrowed it unca Scrooge," Dewey sighed, "we wanted to clean your vault so you didn't have to worry about your allergies you have. Dust had been collecting on the bottom and with the help of Gyro and Launchpad we quickly solved the problem. It needed some deceiving though, and we apologize for the lies."

"You mean those solid alibies were really-?" Scrooge didn't know if he should be upset over the deceit or happy over seeing his gold back home. Looking at his nephews he saw the shame on their faces and noticed Launchpad and Gyro in the same position. The important thing was his gold was returned…not so much how or why. He really wasn't ready to start again from the beginning…age and aching bones prevented that.

"My new invention…it can revolutionize vacuuming in homes Mr. McDuck. Once patented it can sell millions and make a fortune. It still needs some bugs to be picked out, but I'm sure in a matter of months it will be on shores everywhere." Gyro motioned to his proud invention as it kicked up some dust.

"I promise my flying will get better Mr. McDuck. Sure my landings need work…but hey you have to admit my flying has been smoother. These boys were only thinking of you…and our involvement, well, it was minor compared to the brilliant thoughts they had."

"You both may leave…for now gentleman. Your services will still be required in the future and firing you would mean hiring again…and those are dull times." Watching them leave he once again returned to the boys. They had their hats off and were ready for their punishment. "While what you boys did was wrong…you returned what was stolen. You thought of me, and, I thank you for that. For a greedy duck like me…family has often backstabbed in order to take me money. You boys weren't thinking of money…and for that I can hardly stay mad at you. You are forgiven."

"Hooray!" The boys rushed into their uncle's arms and held onto him tight. They were glad he had forgiven them. This was the only home they had with Donald off on his navy career. Their mother had pretty much given custody to whoever would look after them while she was away working on her career. Pulling out of the hug the quartet walked back to the mansion and the days mystery was put to rest.

THE END

CHALLENGE ASSIGNED 5/28/2012

CHALLENGE COMPLETED 6/23/2012

**Authors note:** My first fan fic of ducktales. I had a really big one planned but never got it down on paper or typed it up. Anyway I hoped you enjoyed it. This one took some thinking as well and I think I walked away pretty proud of the end result. Let me know what ya think and thanks for reading.


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